James Cole (Bruce Willis) has been sent from the future back to 1997 to gather information on a virus that will wipe out most of humanity and drive the survivors underground. The only problem is, everybody thinks he is insane.
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A remake of a beloved avant-garde French film with big Hollywood stars. This film should have been absolutely forgettable if not a complete disaster. Yet somehow Terry Gilliam was able to turn this film into not only a wonderful thriller, but also a fascinating exploration of the thin line between sane and insane. 12 Monkeys successfully walks the tightrope between art and commerce that very few filmmakers are able to successfully navigate. Even when you know how things are going to come out, it is still a marvel to watch because you are witnessing a great filmmaker working at the apex of his craft, firing on all cylinders.
They say people don’t go to the cinema for art, yet somehow this film was able to rake in over $150,000,000 worldwide. So I guess there is hope for the future.
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